Two Chilton County residents ventured to Washington, D.C. earlier this week for United States President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.

Barbara Schultz and Jon Ellen Nix stood in the National Mall and watched on one of the many TV screens as Obama took the Oath of Office on Monday, Jan. 21.

The scene was familiar to Schultz, who had attended former President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration with her husband in 1993.

“This is probably my grand finale considering my age,” Schultz said. “It was a good experience.”

Schultz and Nix stayed about 25 miles out from D.C. in a hotel in Virginia.

The morning of the inauguration and parade, the pair left their hotel at 6:30 and did not get back until about 8:15 that night because of the throngs of people traveling to and from the capital.

“You’ve got to be in good physical shape,” Schultz said. “I suspect we walked probably about five miles.”

However, Schultz and Nix were not novices in navigating the crowds at a political event.

Both were among 100 Alabamians and thousands more from around the country that attended the National Democratic Convention in Charlotte, N.C., in September.

Schultz is the Chilton County Democratic Club secretary and Nix has been a member since January 2012.

They worked as telephone callers at the Democratic headquarters in Birmingham one day a week prior to the 2012 presidential election and received tickets to the convention from the state director of Obama for America.

“I’ve come full circle,” Schultz said. “It was a great time. I’m grateful that I was able to go.”